Unstructured casentino coat – Rubinacci x The Rake

Although some of the products aren't to my taste, I always keep an eye on what The Rake are doing in terms of collaborations. It's interesting to see a clear vision move through different brands and categories.

The coat is cut with a good deal more swagger than a normal ulster - with broader lapels, a slimmer sleeve and more nipped-in waist.

In fact, I was a little scared it might be too dramatic.

But when I tried it on (always a nice advantage to the Rake offices not being far away) I was pleased to find that the proportions weren't over the top - particularly as I would often wear it open or with the collar popped up, so you rarely see the full sweep of the lapel.

The coat also has some nice design details, like buttoning up neatly under the chin and the simple, turn-back-and-tack-down style of the cuff.

In fact the simplicity of the latter point is perhaps its greatest attraction.

I love bespoke overcoats, but if there's ever a case for a ready-made one, it's in a piece that is entirely unstructured, with no canvas and no lining - as this is.

It feels like nothing more than a big sheet of casentino wool, that happens to fasten across the front, be turned back at the sleeves, and cinched by a belt at the back.

Given this, the core question is whether you like casentino.

For those not familiar with it, casentino is a traditional Tuscan cloth made of wool that has been beaten to give it raised curls, looking much like pilling on knitwear.

That texture makes it hardy, and the general milling makes it warm and surprisingly water resistant.

Its roughness means it doesn't appeal to everyone - and among those that do like it, much of the reason is its history and tradition.

I was always a little ambivalent about casentino, preferring the subtle texture of tweed for an equally weather-proof cloth, for example.

But seeing it more is turning me to its appeal, and I may well be tempted - particularly given the great brown, blue and green that The Rake are doing it in.

Sizing note: the 40-inch chest fit well on me, but you couldn't fit all jackets underneath (perhaps just softer shouldered ones), and it is the smallest size. So there is the greatest size range for the larger guy.

The back picture looks good and overall its interesting but the front/cover photo looks a bit like a sack. I realise its unstructured but does it look as shapeless from the front as the picture implies or is this another case of a photo being a poor method of judging fit/drape etc

It doesn’t have as much shape as a structured, canvassed piece, but it does have more shape than that, yes. Also, I/you would have it altered to make sure the fit through the waist etc was good, which hasn’t been done here

First up poster, long time lurker here. So I must congratulate you on your blog. And thank you also; I’ve learned much and enjoyed all your postings very much.

I’ve just returned back from a decade in the Far East. I’ve had a look through your tailor recommendations and will try one or perhaps two. Can you recommend someone who can alter this Casentino which I tried last week? I’m rather taken with it, but as you say the waist needs to be taken in substantially.

Hi Simon, Thanks for this review. Funnily enough, I’ve already seen a very chic lady in Paris wearing either a casentino peacoat or a coat But I don’t remember anymore which one it was. I was enough intrigued by the texture of the fabric. Of course, at that tile; I didn’t know that the unusual texture was its defining characteric! As to this Rubinacci × Rake’s oast just wonder whether at least a free floating chest piece wouldn’t help such a coat keep a bit structure in the long run. For over time it may lose a little bit iof its shape right at the level of the chest. Otherwise, the blue one is really appealing! John

I don’t think the material would make much difference to the choice, so it would depend on what style I wanted – eg drape (A&S, W&S), more structured (eg Graham Browne) or Neapolitan (caliendo, solito).

Love this coat. I purchased one and found it to run very small. I’m typically a US 38R and had to size up to a 42 in this piece to get the sleeve length correct and get it to fit over a jacket. A wonderful piece though. Well worth the money.